Only 13 doctors punished under PNDT Act last year

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Only 13 doctors, with the majority from north India, were punished in 2010 under the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act that bans revealing the sex of the unborn child, parliament was told Wednesday.

Eleven punished doctors belonged to the northern states of Haryana, Punjab and Delhi while two were from Maharashtra, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said in an answer to a question by nominated member H.K. Dua in the Rajya Sabha.

Six doctors were from Haryana, three from Punjab and two from Maharashtra and Delhi each.

While those from Delhi were imposed fine, the others were sentenced to both imprisonment and fine.

The minister said several steps have been taken for effective implementation of the PNDT Act.

The Act has been amended to confiscate the diagnostic machines of those doctors who do not register under the law.

The national inspection and monitoring committee has been reconstituted and empowered to oversee follow-up action, he added.